The One Dynamic That Makes Your Leadership “Christian”

If I’m being honest, as a young leader in my twenties in industries like retail, production, and higher education, I didn’t consider much about whether or not my leadership was considered “Christian” leadership. I showed up, clocked in, and led in ways that I had either observed in others or learned from school. The truth was that my Monday through Friday couldn’t be more disconnected from my Sundays.

I’m pretty sure that I’m not the only one. And I bear some of the blame. The church also carries some of the blame though, too.

Why? Because the Bible, and Jesus, are very clear about how we should lead and what characterizes “Christian” leadership. A simple survey of the gospels will reveal Jesus’ heart for his followers who are in the “business” of leading others. In fact, the one dynamic that makes leadership “Christian” is recorded word for word in three of the four gospels.

In a Muhammed Ali-like moment where some of the disciples (and their mother!) are wrestling with “Who is the greatest,” Jesus walks the disciples through the wrong way and the right way to lead others.

The Wrong Way

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus says:

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.”

You’ve seen this. You’ve experienced this. You know what this feels like…Jesus tells his followers. These “rulers of the Gentiles” are doing it all wrong. Their followers fear them, but they do not follow them. Instead of being their leader, they’re more interested in being their lord.

This was no parable or a veiled reference (a vaguepost on social media, perhaps?). It was direct, clear and succinct. There’s no room for interpretation. Jesus knows the appeal of power and the temptation to exercise authority over others. He needed to be concise. Afterall, the disciples were already struggling with the idea.

And if we’re honest, we are pulled in this direction too, aren’t we? If our goal as leaders is to simply get things done, it seems far easier to just tell people what to do and then hold them accountable to doing it. As Christians, no matter what others may tell us or demand of us, getting things done is never the only goal.  There is value in accountability, of course. But, when our leadership looks more like lordship, we’re doing it wrong. And it certainly is no longer “Christian.”

The Right Way

After giving the wrong way to lead, Jesus continues with the right way to lead:

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Not so with you. Again direct. Clear. Succinct. In other words, don’t you dare do that! And then the other side of the coin. Be a servant.  That’s it. If you want to be a great leader…a “Christian” leader – be a servant. Jesus isn’t asking us to do anything different than what he did. He didn’t lead to be served; he led to serve others. And it was obvious in his life and ministry.

The one dynamic that makes our leadership “Christian”? Serving others. It’s as simple and as complex as that.

5 Ways to Lead the Right Way

How this plays out in a tangible way differs from leader to leader and organization to organization, but I wanted to take a crack at giving some ways to be a “Christian” leader. Here are five:

1. Check pride at the door. Pride does not help leadership and humility does not hurt leadership. Results can still be accomplished and goals can still be achieved by a leader who leads with humility.
2. Don’t let your emotions control your actions. We all get frustrated, disappointed and confused. I have seen far too many leaders allow those emotions to dictate how they treat their teams.
3. Think generously about others and their intentions. I judge myself based on my intentions but I judge others based on their actions. This has gotten me in trouble too often. When someone makes a mistake or drops the ball, our goal should be to write a generous story about why that happened in the same grace-filled way we do for ourselves.
4. Allow vulnerability to infuse your leadership. There are times to keep private things private, but vulnerability builds trust. And if leaders are never vulnerable, your team will not trust you. Be real. Be human. Give your team a reason to believe that you understand and care about them through your own shortcomings.
5. Add value to your team. Recognize good work. Celebrate the wins. Be a blessing to the team that looks to you for leadership. Compliment more than you criticize. Treat team members as individuals and find out what motivates and discourages them. Provide opportunities for growth and increased responsibilities. Pay a fair wage. Include the team in decision making. Just to name a few…

Jesus says, if you want to be a leader who exemplifies Christianity, serve others. Don’t lord your leadership over them or exert your authority. Find ways that serve others, just as he did.

Let’s keep the conversation going.  What would you add to this list of 5? How often do you consider how your leadership might or might not be considered “Christian”?